PEORIA, Ariz. — The sweat was still coming off the forehead of Emerson Hancock and he was still trying to process his three “inning” outing during Thursday’s live batting practice sessions on the main back field of the Mariners complex.
Facing Mariners regulars Teoscar Hernandez, AJ Pollock and J.P. Crawford in his first two innings and backup catcher Tom Murphy and minor league invites Colin Moran and Jack Larsen in the final inning, Hancock liked what he saw from his sinking changeup that generated swings and misses. He felt the command of his breaking pitches — a slider and slower curve — could’ve been a little better and admitted that a couple of hard-hit fastballs were misplaced.
Asked if it felt better to be in uniform this spring compared to a year ago when he spent his days rehabbing a strained lat muscle and watching his teammates prepare for the season, the easygoing Hancock flashed a smile that’s a constant except for when he’s on the mound.
“It does put things into perspective,” he said. “I’ve never really seen the game from that side.”
A year ago, he arrived in Peoria for the Mariners minor league minicamp in mid-February with the chance to pitch in front of members of the big-league coaching staff and front-office executives who were there waiting for the Major League Baseball lockout to end and big-league spring training to start.
Hancock felt discomfort behind his shoulder and was diagnosed with the lat strain. He had to rehab as other pitchers such as George Kirby, Matt Brash and Bryce Miller elevated themselves on the organizational depth chart.
When he wasn’t selected in the first five picks of the COVID-shortened 2020 MLB draft, the Mariners felt like they got a steal when they took Hancock with the No. 6 pick.
After a stellar sophomore season for the University of Georgia, there were some projections that had the lanky right-hander going No. 1 or 2 overall. His stock dipped slightly in his junior season after a few shaky starts.
Following the draft, the Mariners invited Hancock to participate in the “Summer Camp” in July at T-Mobile Park and continue to pitch and workout at the team’s alternate training site in Tacoma.
But he felt some shoulder fatigue in his first bullpen session in summer camp and was shut down.
In 2021, he got off to a strong start with High-A Everett, posting a 2-0 record with a 2.42 ERA in seven starts with the AquaSox, including 25 strikeouts and 11 walks in 26 innings. It earned him a selection the 2021 Futures Game during the All-Star festivities.
But shoulder discomfort after a start on June 25 forced him to be shut down. He sat out a month and didn’t participate in the Futures Game. He returned a month later to make two more starts with Everett and three with Double-A Arkansas but started feeling some shoulder fatigue. The Mariners decided to shut him down for the remainder of the season with a focus on rest and recovery.
Last year’s lat strain wiped out his entire spring training and kept him out long enough that he had to start over with his throwing program to build his arm back up to full strength. Hancock didn’t start his 2022 season with Arkansas until May 17.
The Mariners monitored his pitch count and innings, particularly early in the season. They wanted to keep him healthy to continue his development.
By the end, he made 21 starts, posting a 7-4 record with a 3.75 ERA. In 98 1/3 innings, he struck out 92 batters with 38 walks. Opponents hit .219 against him.
In second to last start of the season, he pitched five innings, allowing one run on two hits with nine strikeouts and three walks.
“It was huge for me,” Hancock said of the 2022 season. “It really was. It got off to a kind of shaky start, but to get basically 100 innings in and be with that group, it was great. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
He’d finished the season healthy and optimistic for an offseason without limitations because of injury.
“I really wanted to put a focus on just kind of going back and working with some really, really good people and the two people I trust at the University of Georgia — Sean Kenney and Ryan Gearheart,” Hancock said. “We just worked. From October and until I came out here in early January. We got after it. We did a lot of really good work and hopefully it shows.”
The injuries seemed to have tarnished Hancock’s prospect rating in the eyes of evaluators. Many pro scouts believe that Miller and right-hander Bryan Woo have moved ahead of Hancock on the talent depth chart.
Could he change that perception?
Jerry Dipoto, the Mariners president of baseball operations, raved about Hancock early in spring workouts, believing that he has pushed past the shoulder issues with the offseason work.
Manager Scott Servais was also complimentary.
“I think Emerson Hancock looks really good,” Servais said. “The ball is really coming out. He’s carrying himself differently. I haven’t been around him a lot, but he really impressed me with what he’s been doing.”
Hancock feels different.
“I knew that nothing would ever be too big,” he said. “For what I went through, it is really nothing compared to what some other guys go through injury-wise. The hardest part is feeling like you’re away from people and you’re not a part of it. Working my way back, you just make the most of it. Sometimes it’s not as bad as you think it is and you’re not as far away as you think you are. You just show up every day, you work as hard as you possibly can and surround yourself with people that are really good that can get you back.”
Hancock’s sinking changeup has impressed Mariners coaches and vexed hitters in his first two live batting practice sessions. He threw multiple to Hernandez for swings and misses.
“I feel like it’s probably always been one of my best pitches,” he said. “Last year toward the end of the season, it really turned into where that was the pitch we wanted to use as my first secondary pitch. After the work we put into it in the offseason, I’ve really kind of bought into it. I’m able to use it to both sides of the plate and just have a lot of confidence with it.”
While he still throws the four-seam fastball, which tracks up to 95 mph at times, Hancock has relied on a power sinker at 92-94 mph, believing it gets better movement and results.
He is scheduled to pitch in relief on March 1 in Mesa against the Cubs at Sloane Park.
“Coming in and feeling really good is one thing,” he said. “It’s knowing that you’ve got to compete and just trust in the work that you’ve put in. Ultimately, my job is to come out here use that work and try to impact this team as best I can.”